Amount Sent: US$ 58,266
Details of the Emergency:
On April 17, 2009 at 02:07 local time, an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale, and 5.7 km depth, occurred in Nangarhar Province in the Eastern Region of Afghanistan. Two hours later, a second earthquake of magnitude 5.1 and 3.2 km depth occurred in the same area. The epicentre of both earthquakes was near Sherzad (est. pop. 76,500) and Hesarak (est. pop. 28,000) districts, which are located in the Hindu Kush mountain range .
At least 40 people have been reported killed and 75 people injured. Eleven villages of three districts Agam, Hesarak and Sherzad are affected. Kuchi Khel and Tangai of Sherzad district are the most affected areas of this earthquake. According to the Afghanistan Public Health Directorate (PHD), 800 houses have been damaged, of which 290 were completely destroyed, leaving 800 families (5,600 individuals) without safe shelter. The Agriculture Department has shared that more than 600 livestock has been lost in this earthquake .
Nangarhar province of Afghanistan has been suffering from drought, poor health and sanitation conditions, as well as insecurity caused by continuous conflicts due to which the livelihoods of the local population have severely been affected. By the end of 2008, CWS-P/A also launched a Drought and Food Crises Appeal (ASAF-81) to assist the affected population which has not been funded so far. Now due to this new emergency people of the area are in dire need of assistance.